1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital camera provided with a zoomable optical finder and electronic finder having an electronic zoom function. The present invention further relates to a recording medium for recording programs readable by the digital camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most digital cameras have a finder for electrically displaying an image via liquid crystal device (LCD) or the like (hereinafter referred to as “electronic finder”). However, in such digital cameras, the electronic finder juxtaposed with an optical finder is optionally turned ON/OFF via a switch in order to prevent battery power consumption.
Digital cameras are known which are provided with a electronic zoom function of about 2× without deterioration of image quality in order to enlarge a photographic object while maintaining the compactness of the camera. Since the field of view of the optical finder does not match the actual photographic range during electronic zooming, a field of view frame is displayed in the optical finder during electronic zooming.
Although it is possible to associate the field of view of the optical finder with the actual photographic range in this way, a disadvantage arises in that it is difficult to confirm a photographic subject simply by displaying the photographic range with a simple field of view frame because the subject cannot be optically displayed in enlargement.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. H6-189173 discloses a digital camera wherein a finder optical system zooms in response to electronic zooming. This application discloses a digital camera provided with an actual zoom function of up to 6× by using together a 3× optical zoom and a 2× electronic zoom, thereby having an optical finder with a 6× zoom ratio corresponding to the combined 6× zoom ratio.
According to this art, however, although the photographic subject is easily confirmed and framing is easily accomplished, the optical finder is provided a zoom function corresponding to the effective zoom function. Accordingly, the optical finder is larger and heavier, and disadvantageously interferes with the compactness of the camera.
An object of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages of the conventional art by providing a digital camera and recording medium allowing easy confirmation of a photographic object and easy framing without interfering with the compactness of the digital camera.